The sting in the tale of early success is that from there on, the road is guaranteed to be rough and on a gradual down slope. Sorry Justin Beiber but keeping thinking of the money. Andy Kim was kind of a Justin Beiber figure in his day, a 16-year-old dreamer turned darkly handsome dude with a wicked knack for crafting nuggets of pop perfection.

On the eve of his 6^th Annual Andy Kim Christmas Show, the man some folks call ‘Canada’s Neil Diamond’ talks about its genesis and being back in the spotlight once again.

“ In 2005, I hooked up with Ron Sexsmith to write a Christmas song"What Ever Happened To Christmas’. Out of that came the idea of the show and so The Andy Kim Christmas Show was born.” It was meant to be a one time thing when some friends would come up and play. Then I thought if it was going to be an event, it should be of benefit.  When I put it out to other people, the response was gratifying. The first to come on board were Sexsmith and the late, lamented Haydain Neale. With the help and encouragement of so many people, the show went on at the Mod Club in Toronto and that’s where it has lived ever since.”

Quebec born impressionist André- Philippe Gagnon is bringing his 401 voices down the 401 to treat the province of Ontario to his extraordinary talent. His press release bills him as The Man of 400 Voices, so counting his own voice it brings the total number of voices to 401. Perfect for traveling down the 401 Highway from Quebec to Ontario.

When asked how he started doing impressions Gagnon explains, ” As babies we start speaking by imitating the sounds we hear around us and then at a certain age we outgrow that habit. I never did outgrow it!”  He goes on to say “My idol, as a kid, was Mel Blanc who did Bugs Bunny and all those great cartoon voices. I started by doing Tweety Bird and when I did it my brother praised me instead of punching me. That’s when I knew I was on to something!” A shy kid who didn’t enjoy speaking in public, Gagnon found his talent to be a great ice breaker and it put him at ease in those awkward  situations.

Timeless might be the title of the CD, but it is what truly describes Colin Hunter. His effortless way of performing, soft spoken way of telling you of his passion for singing and thoughtful way of looking at his life. Born in Bombay, India, when Cashbox asked how he ended up in Canada, Hunter explains, “I went to the UK for my parents because my Dad had a heart attack and the family needed another wage earner.

“ I immigrated to Canada firstly because my brother had preceded me and liked it, secondly because there was a absolutely stunning lady residing in the apartment building he lived in (I later married and am still married to her). Lastly, I had reached a senior level at British Airways and did not see any future advancement that would or could stimulate my dreams. My parents stayed in the UK.  It really sounds like a song title!”

“Additionally, an interesting fact is I landed in Toronto on July 26 1970 and 35 years later on July 26 2005 I recorded my first CD "Come Fly With Me" to coincide with the launch of Sunwing Airlines in Nov 2005” Hunter says in his own subtle way.  

Setting aside the U.S. Civil War and World War One, each of which had their share of songs that told the story of their generations, it wasn’t until World War Two and the popularity of the old tube radio, that the music of the war reached the masses in great numbers. By 1940 over 95% of households in the northeast section of the U.S. and about 50% of homes in the south, all had radios.

Some of the music from WW 11 was obvious in its content and some were songs that expressed the sentiment of the day in such a way that they became classic love songs decades after the war was over. The obvious ones were the likes of Spike Jones’ “In the Furher’s Face” and Johnny Mercer’s “G.I. Blues” and The Andrew Sisters “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy”.

Conjure up any of those three songs and in your minds eye you will see people dressed in forties style clothing, crisply pressed army dress and a vivid impression of the Sisters Andrew in their WAC uniforms rhythmically snapping their fingers and swaying as they sing “the boogie woogie bugle boy of company B.”

Canadian Musical Artist First to Perform at the North Pole To Help Raise Awareness of the Ecological Impact of the Melting Polar Ice Caps.

Parvati, a Canadian musical artist and yoga instructor, took a courageous journey to the North Pole. Parvati’s mission was to bring awareness of the urgent ecological effect of melting polar ice caps.

Charged with purity of heart, clear intention, and the willingness to serve, Parvati has become the first artist to ever perform this far North. There, she offered her songs to help raise awareness of just how quickly the ice caps are disappearing and the powerful impact this is having on the entire planet.

Facebook spoke, Michelle Wright listened and now she’s back on the road with a reissue of her ‘lost’ debut album, Do Right By Me

Belleville, ON.  Inspiration, of both the positive and horrific varieties, can come from the most unexpected of sources. Country singer Michele Wright’s just rolled into Belleville for the next gig on her Do Right By Me Tour and the vibe in town’s got her a little sideways. For this is day two of the sentencing hearing for Col. Russell Williams, the sex killer whose deviant behaviour put on display in the courthouse was making strong men hurl.

“ We went by the courthouse and it just felt weird. I can’t imagine what would make someone do that…goes to show there’s no end to how weird people can be” she ends with a shudder in her voice.

It was a chorus of anonymous voices on Facebook, which led Wright to be in Belleville on this particular day contemplating the evil that men do.

Little by little, it seems that Canadian icon and trailblazing singer/songwriter Dan Hill is heading back on that long road again. He stepped out recently by adding author to his list of accomplishments with ‘I Am My Father’s Son : A Memoir Of Love And  Forgiveness’ The recounting of his early years and his father/son relationship wasn’t that much of a stretch for a man who’s spun million selling tales for a living. As well, writing runs in the family, brother Lawrence Hill recently charting with his acclaimed novel, ‘The Book of Negroes.’

Next, Hill found humself thrust into dealing with the death of lifelong pal and fellow songwriter Paul Quarrington. The two had on occasion performed as a folk duo, billed as Quarrington/Hill.The pair's final collaboration, a song about death called "Are You Ready", was completed just ten days before Quarrington's passing in early 2010, and will be featured in an upcoming TV documentary, Paul Quarrington: Life in Music

Vancouver-Except for the one genre, Canadian music of all stripes, from Celine Dion to Alexisonfire has proved successful on the world stage. Homegrown soul is the one style that’s yet to cough up a genuine international star.

Montreal-born, globally raised Eric Solomon wants to change all that and he’s not kidding. He’s just dropped his calling card, an EP Antarctica, made his acting debut for MTV and is putting the finishing touches on a full-length album. It’s Eric Solomon all the time, on all fronts and on the line from his Vancouver home, he sounds like the right man for the gig.

The first single from the album, ‘ALL.’ hit radio like a hurricane, with KISS and Virgin Radio adding it immediately on serious rotation. So how does hearing his tune on the radio make the twentysomething Solomon feel?

“It was like walking on a cloud, I wanted to walk in the streets blessing people. Yeah”.

There’s nobody quite like Johnny Reid on the Canadian music scene right now. Ain’t no one else rocking the nation with a soulful country groove, equal parts Jim Reeves and Otis Redding, and driving all manner of country fans wild. For Reid, this volatile, some would say, unlikely mix has been a passport to the top, In a landscape where established artists are struggling with album sales, this country gent moves units like bullets in Baghdad.

His breakout album went gold, the two albums that followed went double platinum and his current collection, A Place Called Love is just about to turn the double platinum trick. At the recent CCMA show in Edmonton, he added to the weight of his award-burdened mantelpiece with wins for both the Fans’ Choice Award and Single of the Year.

(Editor’s Note- Every so often Cashbox Canada takes the time and space to salute an individual whose accomplishments in the music industry stand the test of time. One such is Terry Sumsion, a pioneering Canadian music figure. On this occasion Nashville radio personality and DJ RB Renegade salutes Terry Sumsion.   Sandy Graham)

Terry Sumsion is a true Canadian music legend.  Period.  His music has stood the test of time as the size and response of his audiences proves time and again.

Terry Sumsion is also a survivor and an inspiration.  He has faced and continues to win a battle with esophageal cancer, his music being his own inspiration – his desire to continue to connect with his fan base the foundation of his strength.

Paris Black was well known in the 80’s as a teen heartthrob and poster boy. Black had instant success with his debut pop dance LP “Secret Seduction”, that went gold with singles like “Better get Ready”, “Lover” and “Buried Alive’. In 1989 Black released his self titled LP “Paris Black” on I.S.B.A. records and started national tours and graced the pages of teen mags across the country.

Along the way the affable Black met many friends on the road including the late Kenny MacLean who not only became a great friend but would also be influential in Black’s musical direction later in his career.

With stardom in sight and a blossoming modeling career, Black abruptly dropped out of the limelight and out of sight. Most fans felt he’d gone to the US for better things and so did we. Years later we find him still rocking the stages but as one of the world’s best tribute artists doing “Billy Idol” and in a more interesting profession of “Live Art Modeling” which is utilized in his live stage show.

“If this is the highest level the band ever gets to and if this is the happiest I’ll ever be, then I’m real good with that” As Granny might say, “Now there stands a man happy in his skin” and if she’s talking about Kelly Sitter, the ol’ dame’s right on the money.

The defining voice of Alberta country band Jo Hikk is at home with the kids in his small-town hometown the day Cashbox Canada called up. Sitter describes a leisurely paced life, with lots of time between rehearsals to check out the local baseball games and play a few gigs. In the background is the knowledge that all this could change big time after August 10, the release date for Jo Hikk’s much-anticipated sophomore album, ‘The Game’.

Recently I interviewed Don Graham by telephone and he was gracious enough to answer the following questions and many more that I have edited from this article. The Toronto Tunesmith Graham is leaving at the end of July to tour with Texas Troubadour Larry Patton in Norway, Ireland, and Austria.

KB:  Tell me a little bit about yourself – how does a guy from Montreal, Quebec end up in country music?

DG:  "I could only get one Country Music radio station in the 60's and even then it was only on a clear night.  It was WWVA in Wheeling, West Virginia.  I loved the commercials.  You could order 500 baby chicks for $3.99 or something like that; that fascinated me.  I really enjoyed hearing the music of Marty Robbins, and Hank Williams."

KB: You had a pick hit in Cashbox Magazine in the late -70’s – how does it feel to be on the cover now?

I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Larry Patton, a talented Texan now living in Nashville, Tennessee. This unassuming man, with the list a mile long of greats he has played with, is about to embark on a tour to promote his new CD, ‘A Strange Night’, on the Canadian-owned ‘Breakin’ Records label.

SG: tell me a little bit about yourself – how did a Texas born kid who grew up on rock and roll end up living and working in Nashville?

LP: My mother was not just a rock-n-roller, she was also an avid country music fan. She took me to every country music show that came to town. In June of 1957 we went to the Grand Ole’ Opry in Nashville and saw the Everly Brothers first appearance there. I moved to Nashville the first time in 1975, went to work with Ronnie Milsap and then later that year Hank Williams Jr. After Hank’s mountain climbing accident in August, and the band’s three months in New Mexico and Arizona, I moved back to Texas at the end of that year. In 1986, with several job offers in hand, I moved back to Nashville and have been here ever since.

New wave diva, wrestling maven, celebrity apprentice, Gay Pride Grand Marshall, anti-discrimination activist, “Time after Time”, Cyndi Lauper finds a way to stay in the public eye. Mostly through a series of re-inventions, and for her latest, the lady sings the blues.

On the line from NY, Lauper is bubbly and focused on Memphis Blues, a collection of classic Stax-era tunes given the Lauper treatment. Lest you think this is a serious changeup for the lady, she says it ain’t so.

“My interest in the blues goes back to a kid in her bedroom singing the songs of (Fifties r’n’b shouter) Big Mabel, who’s had a place in my music ever since. In the Nineties I was mixing pop with hip hop which put me in a place close to where I could think of this album again”. The genesis of this long-coming album is a 1987 dream starring pianist Oscar Peterson.

In  Canada, we have the tradition of the May 24 long weekend, in honour of Queen Victoria. Being the Commonwealth country, we still uphold this holiday, but not so much as a Birthday recognition of a long ago Monarch, but as the tradition of cottages opening up for the season, gardens getting prepared for the summer flowers, holidays being planned and always the music.

Summer brings the radio stations back to playing hits from the past that we all identify with the season approaching. ‘Summer in the City’ by The Lovin’ Spoonful, ‘Summer Breeze’ by Seals and Croft and of course the Canadian summer anthem ‘Sunny Days’ by our very own Lighthouse. Since Cashbox Magazine was known for Charts in it’s heyday, Cashbox Canada has compiled a list of the Top 30 Songs that represent the summer season.

On first encounter with the speaking voice of Andy Kim, you can hear the richness and passion in his words. And he is not even singing. Kim is a combination of amazed and excited about the release of his new CD, ‘Happen Again’, distributed by E1 Canada.

“The CD was recorded in Los Angeles, but it all came to life when I met Eric Alper last November, and E1 expressed serious interest in promoting and marketing Andy Kim and my new product”, explains Kim. ‘’ I have been living in the U.S. for many years, but Canada has always been my home. It is quite fitting that my launch of this new product is right here – in my home country”.

The country market is filled with great singers, talented songwriters and larger than life performers. That is why it is refreshing to hear a CD that has it all.

This new CD by veteran country rock artist, Don Graham (a founding member of Graham County) has it all. Great story telling songs, amazing production, infectious guitar lines and most of all a voice that will keep you hooked from the first song.

The first track, “GOT WHAT IT TAKES”, says it all. ‘An everyday man of everyday means at home in my t-shirt and my old blue jeans’ captures the image of an average man who is comfortable in his own skin.